Spanish citizenship

Hello,

I am a dual Spanish-French citizen. I'm 20, but I obtained Spanish nationality at the age of 16, on account of my mother holding a Spanish passport. I was told at the time that I had to confirm before reaching 21 that I wanted to remain a Spanish citizen. However, I contacted the Paris consulate a few months ago, and they told me it was not necessary. I don't know who to believe... Does anyone know if there is something I need to do ? I'm a bit worried as I'm going to turn 21 in December, and I really want to keep my nationality.

Thanks a lot in advance,
Aurelia

Oh, while I think about it, I've got another question as well. How can I know if my Spanish citizenship is "nacionalidad por opción" or "nacionalidad de origen" ? I became a citizen in 2005, after my mum reclaimed her own citizenship (I think she is a ciudadana de origen, since she was born in Spain of Spanish parents, and she was Spanish at birth).

Thanks in advance :-)

Hi Aurelia,

As far as I know Spain does not contemplate dual citizenship with France, unless of course, a dual citizenship agreement has been signed between both countries. If you are unsure about the information you have been given by the Spanish Consulate, you can refer directly to any Civil Registry in Spain (Registro Civil). They will be able to help you. It would also be interesting to know (but don't use this information to conclude on the matter! ) what the French law states with regards to dual citizenship with Spain.

With regards to your other query it would seem that your mother is Spaniard of origin by virtue of " Ius sanguinis". You are going to have to check whether you are, again by speaking to your nearest Spanish Consulate or directly with any civil registry in Spain.